Umpires

1. Find your officials. Work the registered umpire list at the bottom of this page (79 umpires, listed by city), or hand the job to assigner Gary Patton.
2. Confirm in writing. Text or email the umpire your name, your team name, the age group, the game location, and the date and time. Get a reply before you count on him.
3. Agree on the fee when you book, and bring cash. At 9U to 12U the rules require umpires to be paid at the plate before the game starts, so there is no conflict at the end of the game.
4. Record names and OHSAA numbers at the plate meeting. Both teams must do this before the first pitch. Skip it and the game is declared invalid and must be replayed.

We ask that any and all umpires working COYBL division and Non-Division games be OHSAA licensed and registered with COYBL. COYBL registration is free, but very much needed for the safety of the players, coaches, parents and umpires.

• OHSAA licensed and in good standing. Use of non-OHSAA licensed umpires could result in forfeiture of any and all games and a ban from COYBL for that year.
• Registered with COYBL. Registration is free. If you use an umpire who is not on the list below, ask him to register.
• Not a relative of a player. Under no circumstance is a relative of a player to officiate a COYBL game. The penalty is forfeiture of the game by the offending team.
• Names and OHSAA numbers on record. Both teams must record the names of the umpire(s) and their OHSAA number prior to the game starting. Failure to do so results in the game being declared invalid, and it must be replayed.
• Umpires cannot forfeit a game. Per the 7U and 8U rules, a suspended game is ruled a forfeit by the league director. Umpires have no authority to forfeit a game.

Umpires also enforce COYBL footwear rules. Metal and steel spikes are allowed at 13U and up. They are prohibited at 12U and below.

Contact Gary Patton. There will be a fee payable to Gary to work as an assigner for you, so ask what he charges on your first call.

Gary Patton, Umpire and Umpire Scheduler

• Email: ump2002gpatton@aol.com
• Phone: 614-419-7311

Send Gary (or any umpire you contact directly) all five of these in one message:

• Your name
• Your team name
• Age group
• Game location
• Date and time

Teams that still need officials can post on the Teams Seeking Umpires board. Include your name, your team name and your age group, along with the location of your games and the date and time.

Umpires looking for games can post their open dates on the Umpires Seeking Games board. Include your name and contact info, plus any specifics such as preferred ages and the areas you will travel to.

Registration is free. Registered umpires go on the list below, which head coaches across the league use to fill their home dates, and the list is updated periodically. Registration also tells COYBL who is on its fields, which is the point of it. If you have a question about your registration, contact the league office at doughare@coybl.org or 614-778-1391.

• Judgment calls of umpires are not eligible for protest.
• Only rule interpretations, age violations and pitching violations can be protested.
• The protest must be given to the Umpire in Charge before the game is completed. Get the umpire's name and phone number at that time.
• Email the protest to the league office within 24 hours.
• A $100.00 protest fee must be submitted with a written protest within 72 hours to make the protest official. The $100.00 fee is refunded if the protest is allowed.
• Five Tool weekend tournaments run a different protest process. The fee there is $200 in cash, paid before the protest is heard. It goes back to the team if the protest is upheld, and it is donated to Nationwide Children's Hospital if the protest is not found to be valid.
• Complaints go to the league office with a copy to your age group director. COYBL compiles a list of teams, coaches and umpires that receive complaints. If complaints are deemed excessive or severe, that person or team could be banned from play for the next year or longer.

79 registered umpires, listed by city. Updated March 25, 2026.

Areas: E = East Side, N = North Side, W = West Side, S = South Side.

Coverage: East Side 47, North Side 61, West Side 36, South Side 33.